Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed, who held the world's first underwater cabinet meeting in 2009 in a symbolic cry for help for his low-lying island nation, says he's not "pessimistic" about efforts to ramp up global climate action.
Now the speaker of parliament for his Indian Ocean home, he advocates on behalf of 48 vulnerable countries for more effort by big-polluter nations to cut emissions and boost finance for those on the frontlines of wild weather and rising oceans.
Ahead of the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow starting Sunday, the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) Nasheed represents — which unites developing nations from Africa, Asia and Latin America — has called for a "climate emergency pact".